kansas aviation museum

Took our 10 year old granddaughter last spring and she, as well as my husband and I, were very much pleased with all there was to see and explore. One of the large planes was available to board, there were computer simulated flying modules for several age levels, as well as one inside a cockpit which allowed us to "simulate" our own personal flight! Engines to see up close, hot air balloon basket to see up close as well as lots of fun making and flying paper airplanes from a balcony on 2nd level down to the first...:)

Anyone that is interested in American history of the 20th century or aviation history, has to make a stop in Wichita, Kansas. With oil money and aircraft pioneers like Beech, Cessna and Lear it is no wonder why “Air Capital of the World.” The Kansas Aviation Museum is a nice place get up close and see aircraft and a terminal filled with aviation items and photos.

Wear comfortable shoes!!! A very fun, entertaining and educational museum with a very awesome history my only complaint was all the steps and no elevator definitely worth the time and be sure to check out the control tower

I think the museum does great for operating on such a low budget. The volunteers I visited with were knowledgeable and courteous. The outside aircraft will most likely never fly again hence they are at the museum, if someone wishes to donate enough to build a very large enclosure I am sure there are open ears with the staff. It is a great time to get hands on and see the massive size of the bombers. Starship’s I believe have all been grounded in the USA and seeing one was a treat. Inside the museum there are lots of engine displays and various hands on displays. Biplanes have been assembled on an upper floor. A fantastic building brimming with past stories and even a legend of a ghost or two. The stairs to the control tower are original and a little narrow but worth the effort. Allow at least a couple of hours if you are an airplane enthusiast or mechanically minded.

Even though the museum is under construction for renovations, it doesn't deter from the historical importance that the original airport played in Wichita's airline-accented past. The fact that you can see the planes up close (right next to McConnell AFB) and ascend into the traffic control tower is fantastic!

Wichita has proudly held the title of Air Capital of The World for a very long time, for very good reason. Aviation was born here. All the original great thinkers in aviation brought their plans to fruition here; Boeing, Stearman, Beech even Amelia Earhart originated from Kansas. Our aviation museum details these stories. The building itself has a wonderful history. It served as Wichita's original airport first until 1954 when the current terminal was opened. As the first ICT Airport it saw many of the greats (John Wayne, Elvis, Bogey and Bacall to drop names of a few)of the day stop through as it served as a favorite fuel point; as in those days coast to coast flights required refueling. The planes they have on sight illustrate the history of aircraft as the thinkers of the industry designed and tested improvements along the way. It's a fantastic way to spend a day with family learning a little history of American ingenuity and the aviation industry in general. I recommend it highly. You really need to take the time to visit if you spend a lot of time flying or are a history buff in general.

Worth seeing. Museum is volunteer and could use an update as well as refreshing. Seems it coule use additional funding. Exhibits like aircraft on the tarmac are not well marked. It was OK.

Very cool visit to a museum in the original airport terminal. Neat collection of old airplanes outside where you can get up close and personal. Some other nice airplanes on the inside. Plenty of history about aviation in Wichita. The best part is climbing to the top of the old control tower where you get a great view of the surrounding area.

We went to their Play on the Plane Day! The boys had a blast climbing into the cockpits of several different planes. Neat place but it shows it's age. Reasonably priced.

If you are lucky you will be able to see a plane being restored. This is a great place to view Wichita's rich aircraft history. They have several planes from the past and it is all located in and around Wichita's very first airport. The mural on the outside is a must see.

It was a very interesting exhibit with lots of history. I loved the B-52 on the tarmac. The best is the control tower where you can watch planes taking off from the adjacent AFB.

The museum building is fantastic and is adjacent to the airport. The engines room is cool, one engine is open and you can see how it moves inside. There are several perfectly restored bi-planes on the second floor. Outdoor part has several planes including legendary B52. Some planes saw better days and seems to be in restoration process. The Stratofortress experience is priceless. Finally they have a flight simulator with the selection of planes and terrains.

My son's favorite part was hand cranking the landing gear of a small plane. He also enjoyed folding and flying a few paper airplanes inside the building. Some old TWA memorabilia, a Ryan Air display, some interesting exhibits. Liked being able to walk out onto the field to view the old planes. My 15 year old son spent quite a bit of time out there checking them out - look mom, an air force trainer! Good view from the control tower - could see the next storm moving in.

With Wichita being the center of general aviation for so many years I expected this to be a better experience, I was sorely disappointed. There are couple of nice biplanes inside the building and a very few other small aircraft in various levels of disrepair. Although the two biplanes had a lot of information displayed, most displays had little more info than the make and model and sometimes the year built was also included. One propeller on display even had a sign saying in essence,"This is a airplane propeller, we don't know when it was built or what it fits." Several aircraft engines are also on display. But the majority of the interior seems to be populated with photos and personal stories of people involved with aviation in the Wichita area. Some good history, but you can find much more info using any search engine on the internet. There were quite a few model aircraft on display too. The rest of the interior seemed to cater to school groups. I decided to walk outside to see the aircraft on the tarmac. This was the saddest part of my visit. Sitting on the tarmac were several aircraft ranging from a B-52G down to a V-tailed bonanza. All were unceremoniously decaying in the Kansas sun. I walked up and put my hands on the KC-135 remembering my days in the Air Force . The Bonanza, has at some point in it's past, had all the paint and interior stripped from it. The windows have sit in the sun for so long it was nearly impossible to see the inside. Putting my hands up to shield myself from the sun I could see that even the famous Beech throw over yoke had been stripped. Sad end for a plane that helped define personal aviation. A 727 painted in Fed-Ex colors sets nearby with it's uncovered engines windmilling in the Kansas wind. The click, click, click of the turbine vanes echoing across the aircraft graveyard. As I headed for the building I stopped to look at one of the last Beech Starships in existence, it's decals peeling in the sun. I can remember nearly thirty years ago when I fueled my first Starship, it was supposed to be the future of aviation, now just a decaying relic of the past. All in all a very depressing visit.

Museum covers the history of aviation in Kansas. Great room with alot of the early aircraft engines. They built a Stearman in the building! Would love to see how they plan on moving it!The view from the control tower is great, tallest point in Wichita. Have live ATC radio for many channels in the area. Plus it is at the end of the runways for McConnell AFB.Numerous aircraft, civilian and military.Some are not in the best shape. A couple are open for walking through.